11.11.2000 News from Wigan

< BODYBACKGROUND="temple.jpg" > News Report Archive 11th November 2000

News reports from Wigan Observer, Wigan Reporter and Wigan Evening Post

LOUISE FAMILY TO SUE KILLER

The father of murder victim Louise Sellars plans to sue her killer for "destroying" his family.
November 10th would have been the Appley Bridge youngster's 21st birthday and Louise's parents Gary and Elaine have revealed that they are having to sell their home because they are no longer able to make ends meet.
They say they have both been unable to work during the five years since their daughter was killed and the financial problems are now beginning to take their toll. They blame their problems directly on Darren Ashurst, the 26-year-old Appley Bridge lorry driver who two week ago was given a life sentence for Louise's brutal murder in 1995 in fields behind Billinge Hospital. It has been a particularly heartbreaking anniversary for the Sellars.
Last week detectives were finally able to return some of Louise's personal effects, including an ankle bracelet, dolphin charm, a neckchain with a cross which was buckled during the violent attack, and the watch which police showed to Mr and Mrs Sellars in order to identify her.
On Friday Mr Sellars said that friends, relatives and wellwishers were welcome to visit Louise's grave at St James the Great Church in Wrightington to ay their respects on her birthday. He added, "Our daughter should have come of age today, but the childkiller Darren Ashurst denied her that in the most brutal way possible. Nothing can bring her back and we miss her terribly.
"He destroyed our family, because of the huge strain we have been under these last five years neither of us has been able to work. The pressure and pain has been all the worse because we have known all along that he is guilty.
"We have taken legal advice and now plan to take civil action against Darren Andrew Ashurst for damages. We are in such a state now that I, Elaine and our two children are going to have to sell our house because we are in arrears. We are not wanting wellwishers to treat us as a charity. There is only one person to blame for all that."
The Sellars family also personally thanked the detectives who "worked trielessly and with such determination over the years to catch Louise's killer".

HEROES SAVE VILLAGE FROM FLOODING HELL

These are the local heroes who manned the flood pumps in the centre of Shevington 24 hours a day for a week.
Harry Dickinson and his son Gareth kept a constant watch on the generator attempting against all odds to drain the water from the flooded recreation ground in the village.
And with more rain forecast, Harry, 64 and Gareth, 40, know they could face more days and nights watching over the generator which pipes the flood water into the street drain.
Harry, the gardner for Shevington Parish Council, and Gareth, his assistant reckon that in seven days hundreds of thousands of gallons of water have been pumped away.
Chairman of Shevington Parish Council, Alan Sudworth said, "These men are heroes. The land in the centre of the village always floods during heavy rain but it soon drains away. In the last week we have had day after day of torrential rain and two shops were flooded. In the interests of the public we decided that Harry and Gareth should man the constantly running generator. They've taken it in turns and but for their efforts, things would have been catastrophic."
Gareth said, "It's a case of sitting in the car and keeping an eye on the generator. From a public safety point of view, these things should not be left unattended when running."

CORRIE STALKER JAILED FOR CHILD SEX ASSAULTS

Stalker Kevin Sedgewick, recently banned from going near three Coronation Street stars after becoming obsessed with them, has been jailed for acts of gross indecency with children.
Sedgewick, of Linney Square, Scholes admitted five acts of gross indecency on a girl under the age of 14, two similar acts on a boy under 14, four charges of taking indecent photographs and two of making indecent photographs.
Bolton Crown Court heard how 42 year-old Sedgewick bounced children aged from five to seven up and down on his knee and admitted that he was "sexually aroused" by the act.
On other occasions he told one little girl to squeeze his private parts over his clothing, took a photograph of the girl holding up her underwear and took another indecent photograph of her fully clothed. Prosecuting barrister Geoff Whelan told the court how detectives searched his home and found video tapes. He said, "He was encouraging children to play games where they would sit on his lap and he would jiggle them up and down. He used a camcorder to take videos of one girl bending over a stool."
Letters and various writings were also discovered in his flat. They were stories which Sedgewick had written. He described his fantasies of picking up children and performing sexual acts with them. Sedgewick, who has two previous convictions in 1977 and 1989 for indecent assault, carried out the current offences between January 1999 and August 3rd 2000.
Bill Swallwell, defending said that Sedgewick has learning difficulties and often complained of "hearing voices in his head". He told the court, "Sedgewick does need extensive and intensive help and assistance. He is remorseful and knows that his actions were wrong. He has spent the last three months in prison and says this has brought him to his senses and that he is willing to respond to the help which is on offer. He says he is no longer hearing the voices in his head."
A psychiatric report on Sedgewick was carried out by a doctor who also concluded that he needed help.
On sentencing Sedgewick Judge William Morris said, "The report also concluded that you represent and will continue to represent, a danger to children. That said you are a man with learning difficulties and find it hard to come to terms with day to day life.
"You understand that it is wrong to commit such offences but these offences are so serious that there is no alternative but to send you to prison."Sedgewick was jailed for 18 months and Judge Morris also ordered an extended sentence of five years to "secure rehabilitation and to prevent further offending".
A forfeiture order was made to destroy all the indecent photographs, video tapes, video recorder and the letters which Sedgewick had written.

MAN DIES AFTER FIGHT IN PUB

A thirty year old man has died after a fight in a local pub.
Violence flared at the Bonny Lasses pub in Hindley and then spilled out onto Market Street just before 9pm on Friday November 3rd.
Police and ambulance crews were called and when they arrived they found local man Paul James Akister lying critically injured with severe head injuries.
Paramedics attempted to resuscitate Mr Akister at the scene before taking him to wigan Infirmary, arriving at 9.20pm, but he remained unresponsive to treatment and died shortly before 10pm.
Police arrested two men, Andrew Pilkington, 19 and his brother Darren, 18, who are both from the Hindley area.
They appeared in court on Monday 6th November, charged with the murder of Mr Akister.
The Bonny Lasses pub was forced to close on Saturday as forensic experts were called in to search for evidence but it was open for business again on Sunday.
Detective Chief Inspector Ian Hilton said, "There were a lot of people about at the time of the incident and we are asking for any witnesses who have not already done so to come forward."
Mr Akister's family were too distressed to talk about the tragedy and were being comforted by friends and relatives.
Witnesses should contact police at Leigh Incident Room on 0161 856 7282.

ASHURST'S FAMILY CLAIM HE IS INNOCENT

The family of convicted killer Darren Ashurst has sensationally accused the police of framing an innocent man for Louise Sellars' murder.
They say a cigarette stub which proved to be the most damning piece of evidence in the trial was "made to fit the crime".
Police have strongly refuted the claims saying all the issues were disclosed to Ashurst's defence team and he was found guilty by the jury.
It had taken more than eight days to present all the evidence against the lorry driver, the most crucial and damning being that of a cigarette butt found at the murder scene which contained Ashurst's DNA.
But Ashurst's family say that neither the stub or even a picture of it was shown to the court and that several witness statements contradicted ones given earlier in the investigation.
Susan Strang and Kimberley Sumner neglected to tell police in first interviews that they had seen Ashurst with a scratched face the day after Louises's body was found. It was only when re-questioned that they recalled the injury.
And it was only in 1999 when re-interviewed that Jacqui Benton said that Ashurst had gone to her house with a rope identical to the murder weapon, just days before the killing and said, "I'm going to tie you up and make you have it."
Christopher Robinson was also accused of contradicting himself in statements about a false alibi Ashurst was said to have asked him for.
In a statement issued to the Wigan Observer relatives say, "Last week Darren began a life sentence for a crime he did not commit. It was heard during the trial that four seperate witnesses changed their statements in 1999, differing from the two statements they made in 1995. Also when Darren was originally arrested in 1995 there was no mention of a cigarette butt.
"But in 1999 this became a very key part of the prosecution evidence, even though the cigarette butt could not be produced in court. Not even a picture of it could be produced. This unfortunately leads us to think that in the four years that passed from the murder to Darren being charged, the evidence was made to fit the crime. As a result an innocent man will spend the rest of his life behind bars."
He said the family was now considering legal action to clear his name.
But a spokesman for Greater Manchester Police replied, "All the issues were disclosed fully to Mr Ashurst's defence team prior to the trial, and he was found guilty, on a majority verdict, in a court of law."
Louise's adopted father, Gary Sellars reacted angrily to the claims. From his home in Chisacre Drive Appley Bridge, he said, "If these allegations did not concern such a horrendous and violent crime, I would be laughing at them. This man is a convicted childkiller and he has been found guilty in a court of law.
"Are they trying to suggest tht the police are corrupt; that every detective, scenes of crime officer, photographer and forensic expert was involved in some elaborate frame-up?"
"I was at court every day and saw that Ashurst has a good and fair trial. The defence was clutching at straws during the hearing and it looks like it's continuing now. If they believe these allegations why weren't they made in court.?
"I bear Ashurst's family no ill, but these do seem to be feeble attempts to get him off the hook and clear the family name."